Lethe and Mnesmosyne
by kremlinmirrors
Summary: A story about the last battle against Naraku and events leading afterwards. InuyashaKagome angst and fluff, so be warned! Please RR!


Lethe and Mnesmosyne

By Otakuprincess

A/N: Hope you like this a lot. I need reviews to update, so please please please review. Also, about the title. Lethe and Mnesmosyne are rivers of Hades, as well as the goddesses that represent them. Lethe is the goddess of Oblivion and forgetfulness. Mnesmosyne is the goddess of rembrance. So, that's the title for you. It makes sense later on. Please review!

Blood spurted everywhere as swords bit skin and bone. The wind was rough and hard, and stormclouds drifted overhead. The rain would start coming down any moment; as if waiting to wash away the scars of battle from the earth. One girl stood alone, watching the battle.

"Kagome, get out of here!" Inuyasha yelled, fending off Naraku's attacks. Even the Tetsuiga was having trouble in the battle. Inuyasha yelled louder for Kagome to move, but she wouldn't budge.

"I'm not leaving you here! We're all in this together, remember?" Kagome looked to where Sango lay, sprawled on the damp ground. Miroku was taking a short break, deep breaths escaping from his parched lips. Shippou and Kilala were nowhere to be seen – they had been told to hide until it was safe. "I'm not leaving any of you." Kagome notched her arrow, ready to strike when the time was right.

"You slime-ball, mangy bastard!" Inuyasha yelled, swinging the Tetsuiga at full blast towards Naraku. The demon lord fended it off easily, jumping out of the way. He then came at Inuyasha with his sword, releasing miasma as well. Inuyasha coughed and pasued, giving Naraku a chance to get a blow in. Kagome took this as her chance.

"Inuyasha, watch out!" The arrow flew strong, headed right for its target. Kagome had made this one extra powerful. Her effort proved worth the time as the arrow pierced Naraku's flesh. He fell, screaming, to the ground. Light flashed in all directions, and Kagome suddenly felt a great wind.

"Inuyasha, Kagome, you must stand your ground! I'll get Sango! We cannot get sucked in!" Miroku yelled over the roar of demons. Inuyasha backed away from the source of the funnel, curving his arms around Kagome to shield her from the blast. Between his fingers, she could see the mass of demons, spirits, and dead souls that were Naraku's body. They were pulsating in motion, crawling, scuttling, and wriggling over each other in a large mass. Naraku was being sucked into his own wind tunnel.

The noise became louder, and Kagome could no longer hear Inuyasha's voice over the deathly screeches of the demons as they disappeared into nothingness. She could not have said when it ended, for she had not noticed. After a few minutes, however, Inuyasha released Kagome from his grasp.

"Are you all right, Kagome?" He asked, worried.

"I'm fine, Inuyasha. Is he...really, you know, gone?" she asked.

"Yes, I think so." Inuyasha replied. "Miroku, how are you—"

Miroku was staring at his wind tunnel hand. He nervously slipped off his holy beads, and nothing happened. The castle grounds were silent except for the warm crackle of a nearby fire.

"I...he's gone." Miroku said slowly. Kagome smiled. She was so happy for him. Finally, Miroku would not have to worry about someday vanishing into his own world of nothing. He was free.

Soon enough, Shippou and Kilala came running out from behind a tall set of bushes. They were relieved to see that everyone was in relatively good shape (though Shippou was angry he didn't get to fight.) Miroku tended to Sango's wounds (without even being the perverted freak he is) and Inuyasha ventured into the castle to retrieve his shards of the Shikon Jewel.

"Well Kagome, you did it. We have all of the pieces to the jewel, and Naraku is done for. You did it."

"Inuyasha, we did it. And...we don't have all of the pieces yet." Kagome sat down and pulled one jewel shard from inside her school uniform. She had kept it for traveling back and forth between her own time and the feudal era.

"You have to promise me you'll come back for me. I can't take this jewel shard with me, or the jewel will not be complete." Kagome held up the shard, and it slowly fused with the others. Bright light surrounded the jewel, and when Kagome next saw it, the jewel was completely whole again.

"Thank you, Kagome. Without your help I wouldn't be holding this right now." Kagome smiled, only barely shocked that Inuyasha had said thank you.

"What will you do with the jewel?" Kagome asked.

"I don't know. I haven't decided. The way things are going..I will still become a full demon." Inuyasha replied.

"Why?" Kagome asked. "You beat Naraku. Why not become human? You did promise Kikyo.." Kagome stopped herself. Why had she brought up Kikyo at a time like this?

"Kikyo is dead. It does not matter." Inuyasha said. "I would become human and go with you to your world, but.."

"What's the matter?" Kagome asked, curious.

"I can't."

A/N: Evil cliffhanger!! Hope you all like it, and please please review. Let me know if I spelt names wrong, especially Tetsuiga. Review review review, and I'll update soon! Not updating till I get reviews!!!


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